Armenian-Persian War (1421-1435)
Armenian-Persian War (1421-1435) Context After the collapse of the Sassanid Dynasty, the House of Khorasan maintained control over Persia for 600 years. However, eventually, it too began to rot. Armenia, which had gone from a simple client state to the sole ruler of the Lower Caucasus in under a century, took advantage of the state’s corruption and weakness and invaded in 1421. The Khorasanid emperor, Peroz VI, did manage to defend his nation well, but the hopes of the Persians died with him at the Battle of Ardabil in 1425. The crown passed to his mentally disabled son, Khosrau X, and the vultures began to circle. While the court at Astarabad tore itself apart over regency, the Balochis and Afghans took chunks out of the East, the Iraqis and Luris revolted in the West, Armenia seized essentially all of Kurdistan and Azerbaijan with little opposition, and the powerful noble families, a staple of Persian politics, divided up what was left among themselves. By 1435, Khorasanid Persia was well and truly dead. = The Armenian Ambition (1421) In the year 1421, Sarkis the Great, Emperor of Armenia, wanted to bring glory to his people and Buddha. The Khorasanids were experiencing political instability and corruption. Sarkis knew it was time and thus he led an army into Persian territory marking the start of the Armenian-Persian war. Armenia developed their strategy revolving around their mountainous terrain. They would await the Persians to strike them on the mountains. The first few months was a skirmish. Persian territories being conquered by Armenians only to be reconquered by the Persians again. The Battle of Ardabil (1425) The battle of Ardabil is one of the pivotal points of Armenian history in the summer of 1425. 5 000 Armenian forces were sieging down Ardabil when a large Persian force estimated to be 20 000 had strike them. The general of the small Armenian forces was Bazyan Zirak, a Kurdish slave-turned-general who is said to have been a great leader and a companion of Sarkis the Great. Upon realizing the coming of the Persian forces who were personally led by the Khorasanid emperor, Peroz VI, he sent an envoy to the bulk of the Armenian forces which is being led by Emperor Sarkis. Sarkis knew they would still be outnumbered even if he reinforced his troops in the battle. He consulted with a monk and according to Armenian Theravada tradition, the monk said “You have studied the Rajadharma since you were young. It is within your heart and it is up to you to decide.” He sent his men to reinforce the battle of Ardabil knowing that this could be a disaster for his troops. It was dawn and the Persian forces had gathered in front of the Bazyan forces. Bazyan had fortified his position on the mountain. His numbers were small compared to the Persian forces. Bazyan saw some of his men chanting a Buddhist prayer before battle. Bazyan who feared if the envoy even reached the Sarkis started to whisper a Zoroastrian prayer. The Persians started to march towards Bazyan's fortifications. Bazyan started shouting commands and orders to pepper the skies with arrows against the Persians. The battlefield was narrow and had given Bazyan's troops a defensive advantage. However, Bazyan knew that his forces could not hold the Persians back without any reinforcements. Blood was spilled and hope seemed distant for Bazyan's troops after fighting for hours when they heard a horn. A swarm of Armenian troops came flooding towards the rear of the Persians. The morale of Bazyan's troops rose upon seeing their emperor with the reinforcements. It was a bloodbath for the Persians. According to the Armenian Theravada tradition, Sarkis threw a spear piercing Peroz VI in the heart, killing him in an instant. Songs and poems would be sung for generations about this momentous victory over the Persians. Aftermath With the death of Peroz VI, Persia was thrown into political instability. Many Persian troops had been pulled away from the Caucasus to assist with stabilizing Persia. This allowed the Armenians to conquer Kurdistan and Azerbaijan with little opposition. It took 6 years after the battle of Ardabil for the Persians to surrender the conquered territories to Armenia officially. Minor battles * Siege of Tabriz(1426)- 3000 Persian infantry last stand against the Armenians * Battle of Tabriz(1427)-5000 Persian infantry tries to retake Tabriz only to be crushed by 10 000 Armenian soldiers * Battle of Lahijan(1430)-5000 Persian infantry last stand against the Armenians * Battle of Khoy(1433)- 6000 Persian peasants tried to retake the city only to get crushed by 10 000 Armenian troops led by Bazyan.